[Healeys] 100-6 BN4 brake bleeding - follow up

[fiat500f at aol.com]

UGH!  A cliff...is what I need to push this thing over.

Early BN4.

First, thanks to all for the many brake bleeding/air removal suggestions.

Today, I bled them again, and...no joy.  I took the drums off and checked that
the shoes were radiused to the drums, which they are.  All six wheel cylinders
in the car are new and correct.  The shoes are new also.  The drums have been
cut very slightly, they are not oversized.  The master cylinder is rebuilt,
correctly, and has a perfect bore.  It is a 3/4" diameter cylinder and is
correct.  First, I bled the brakes the traditional way, master cylinder to
wheels, with a helper pushing the pedal, and me opening and closing the valves
at the cylinders.  The rears went well, no air at all after bleeding.  The
fronts are pure evil.  I bled them master to wheel, then reverse bled them
wheel to master.  I STILL have a pedal that I need to press 1 1/2 times to
achieve a solid pedal.  When I hold the pedal there, it does not sink, it is
firm and stays firm.  But that first press of the pedal goes to the floor.  I
can tell that I am moving fluid, and if I spin a wheel by hand, and have the
helper step on the pedal, the wheel stops instantly.  I then did the clamping
off of brake hoses thing.  When I clamped the rear hose, there was a very
slight improvement at the pedal, but not much.  When I clamped one of the
front wheels, I then had a pedal that got firm with 1/2 of a push.  Same with
the other front wheel, so, I'm thinking the problem lies at the front wheels.
But, I've bled AND reverse bled them!  I don't know what else to do, though it
certainly seems that there is still air in the system.  How that is even
possible, I don't know.  I have no leaks at any of the lines or hose fittings.
But I've now bled through six pints of brake fluid and it seems pretty much
the same as it was when I started.  Anyone have any other thoughts?

Thanks,
Paul B.